


Heartbeat

by msobsessivecompulsive



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: F/M, extreme sadness, you will probably cry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-01
Updated: 2014-09-01
Packaged: 2018-02-15 19:21:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2240505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msobsessivecompulsive/pseuds/msobsessivecompulsive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laura, Bill, and their hearts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heartbeat

Laura took Bill’s hands in hers and squeezed them, looking down at how perfectly they seemed to tangle together. Like they belonged that way forever. He wasn’t speaking and she was worried. She looked up at him then over the rims of her glasses. He was staring at their hands too.

"You going to say something?" She whispered.

He looked up at her. ”What are your chances?” He asked back. ”Be honest.”

"Not good. It…it’s totally metastasized," she responded. He withdrew his hands from hers and put his face in his hands letting out a small sigh. It didn’t sound like one to her though, it sounded like a balloon deflating. Like the life was leaving him too.

"I can…I am still getting treatments. I have some time." She put a hand on his back and began to rub it the way she used to.

He didn’t respond. ”Bill? Bill please don’t. Don’t…don’t shutdown on me,” she replied, removing her hand from his back. ”I need you to…I need you.” She finished. 

He picked his head up and looked at her, the pain in his eyes evident. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said firmly, his resolve setting as he said the words. Laura gently pulled him to her, his head resting on her chest. Like they used to do. 

Bill adjusted his head awkwardly and Laura looked down. ”What are you doing?”

There was a pause. ”I can hear your heartbeat like this,” he whispered. She leaned over and kissed the top of his head before resting her head on top of his.

***

"Doc, please. Before he comes back from the CIC," Laura pleaded with the Doc while propped against her pillows. "You know how much it upsets him. I’d rather just get it over with."

Cottle shook his head sadly before retreating to pump the medicine into her veins. Laura leaned her head back against the pillows, pretending that he was sitting next to her, reading. The pain set in and she grimaced, clasping her hands tightly together in front of her.

She bit her lip again as the nausea kicked in. She sat up and grabbed the bin next to her table, vomiting loudly before wiping her mouth and leaning back against the pillows. She sighed and took a few deep breaths. It was hitting more often and quickly now.

She squeezed her eyes shut tighter and groaned pathetically, trying to sit up more to keep her stomach angled downwards. It always helped. She dozed off before waking up suddenly as another wave of nausea swept over her. Laura struggled to sit up and reach for the bin. It hurt to open her eyes. Suddenly, the bin was beneath her mouth and a firm hand on her back. The nausea passed and she laid back against her pillows.

"How are you doing?" Bill whispered. Laura opened her eyes and squinted upwards to see him standing next to her. He reached forward and caressed her face gently with his knuckles. "I’m still waiting for that new body," she muttered before laughing weakly and scooting over and patting the bed. He sat down carefully, not taking his eyes off of her.

"Why didn’t you wait for me?" He asked quietly, taking his hand in hers.

"You needed a break," she patted his hand gently. "It was late and you had work to do. I didn’t want to take you away from your responsibilities.” She smirked after emphasizing the last word before grimacing again and gripping tighter to his hand.

"I can stay with you tonight, Saul will take the early shift," Bill replied, concerning washing over his face once more. She smiled at him and let out another chuckle. "How scandalous, Admiral. What WILL the fleet think?" He brought her hand up to the side of his face and rubbed it against his own cheek before kissing it.

She scooted over more in the hospital bed and extended her hand. He lay down beside her, resting his head against her chest, she pulling him closer with her arm.

Thump. Thump. Thump. It was still beating.

Doc Cottle found them, asleep, an hour later. Closing the curtains around them, he lit another cigarette.

***

When Bill returned from the CIC she had fallen asleep on his rack, her arm draped over her forehead, the wig slightly askew. Her eyes were red-rimmed. He knew she’d been crying. A pang of guilt washed through him. He probably shouldn’t have left her alone after being all that time on the base star…He sat down beside the rack and rubbed her thigh gently.

Her eyelids fluttered and she opened her eyes. Her eyes lit up slightly at seeing him and she put her hand over his. ”My shift is over,” he stated simply. ”Ellen is helping Saul in the CIC.”

Laura nodded slowly and sat up against her pillows. ”I’m sorry that I had to leave you alone,” Bill said quietly, looking down at his hands before looking back up at her.

She shook her head quickly. ”No, no. Don’t. I feel much better,” she gave him that smile. The one that made his stomach do flip flops. She stretched a little bit. ”I could go for a little physical activity, actually.”

Bill stood up slowly, ignoring the creak in his aching muscles. ”We can take a walk if you want. I think that most people…”

"That’s not what I meant," she interrupted him. He looked up to see a mischievous glint in her eye.

A grin began to spread across his face. ”I was kind of feeling a shower.” He stretched as well and turned and walked towards the bathroom, leaving the door open behind him as he began to undress. 

Everything in Bill’s mind became a blur. A blur of clothing, tangled limbs, and just Laura. It’d been 2 weeks. He remembered it to the day. Would this be the last time? He didn’t know. He lifted her in his arms (so light. So tiny) positioning her against the wall of the shower. And as he thrust upwards, she leaned forwards against him, her arms wrapped around his neck, her legs gripping tightly to his chest.

"Bill," she moaned into his ear. Her heart was beating quickly against his. Thumpthumpthumpthumpthump. It was beating for him.

***

Laura took a shaky breath, but it caught in her throat and she gasped before coughing again. The tears started as she tried to take another breath and it didn’t come. But he was there, of course he was, pushing her forward so that she could find her breath again.

She calmed back down and turned to him beside her as he adjusted the blankets tighter around her tiny frame. She leaned her head over and rested it on his shoulder. ”I feel so…claustrophobic.” She chuckled again before letting out another shuddering cough.

"It’s too cold out there for you." It was a statement. She wanted to be angry with him for being so controlling. But she didn’t have it left in her.

"Bill," she replied. "Please. Take me outside. I want to see the animals, the sky, the water," she took another deep breath and let it out slowly. "I don’t want to spend my last days in this….tent," she said the last word distastefully.

He didn’t have it in him to argue with her either. He stood up and helped her carefully to her feet. She leaned heavily against him as she took a baby step and then another.

They made their way carefully outside, stopping for her to rest beside a large tree. Her face had lit up considerably since stepping outside. She smiled over at Bill gratefully, who couldn’t help but smile back. She found that, around him, her smile seemed very contagious.

He sat down gingerly beside her and she took his hand, squeezing it as hard as she was able.

"I love you," she said softly, with meaning. He responded by leaning over and placing his head on her chest. She kissed the top of his head and then rested hers on his.

Thump

thump

thum

thu

…..

Bill gingerly placed her body in the hole he’d dug. Perfectly sized. She would be comfortable there, he decided. It wasn’t too shallow, it wasn’t too deep. It had taken him all day. The sun was setting. He gently crossed her arms across her stomach. 

She seemed so peaceful, like she could just be sleeping. Gently, Bill lay down beside her, putting his head on her chest. The tears ran down his face and onto her chest. He picked his head up and kissed the absence of sound. The absence of life. His whole life.

"I’m going to do it, Laura. I’m going to build that cabin. And I will see you soon." With that, he picked up the shovel and began to close her in to the tomb that held her heart. And his.


End file.
